Container loading and unloading

Abstract

A method and assembly provide for the quick and effective one step loading and unloading of an overseas transport container, which can be accomplished by one operator and a minimum of effort. First, second, third, and fourth identical fingers each about 20' long have a plurality of air bearings associated with them, the air bearings connected up to a source of air under pressure. Inflatable load bars are provided on the tops of the fingers. At the first ends of the first and second fingers they are connected to a structural cross-member which is integral with a manifold for supplying air under pressure to the fingers for inflating the air bearings, and also mounts air-supplying structure for inflating the load bars. The third and fourth fingers are continuations of the first and second, and are utilized when loading or unloading a 40' container. During use the air bearings are inflated, the fingers are simultaneously moved underneath the pallet, load bars are inflated to lift the pallet off of the horizontal surface on which they are resting, the pallet is moved--utilizing a powered hand truck connected to the structural cross-member--into or out of the transport container, the load bars are deflated, and the fingers are simultaneously withdrawn from underneath the pallet.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An assembly for moving a heavy load on a pallet out of an overseas transport container comprising: first, second, third and fourth substantially identical fingers, each between about 19' and 20' long, having first and second ends, and each having a plurality of air bearings disposed along the length of the bottom thereof, with each air bearing operably connected to a source of air under pressure associated with its respective finger, and dimensioned to fit under a pallet;   a structural cross-member holding said first and second fingers together at said ends thereof so that they are spaced laterally from each other and extend substantially parallel to each other from said structural member;   said third and fourth fingers operably connected to said first and second fingers, respectively, and extending parallel to and laterally spaced from each other, the first end of said third finger connected to the second end of said first finger, and the first end of said fourth finger connected to the second end of said second finger;   at least one inflatable load bar extending along the length of the top of each of said fingers;   means for supplying air under pressure to said load bars and to said air bearings for each of said fingers; and   wherein each of said load bars is provided with compressed air from a common source, said first and second fingers being connected by a hose to a source of air under pressure, the hose extending on the bottom of the one of the first and second fingers with which it is associated, and connected up to the load bar adjacent the first end of that finger; and wherein each of said third and fourth fingers is operatively connected up to said source of air under pressure by a hose extending the entire length of the first or second finger, respectively, a first end connection being provided at the hose at the second end of each of said first and second fingers, and a hose section including a connection cooperating with said first connection extending from the first end of each of said third and fourth bars for connection to the at least one load bar associated with the respective third or fourth finger.   
     
     
       2. An assembly for moving a heavy load on a pallet out of an overseas transport container comprising: first, second, third and fourth substantially identical fingers, each between about 19' and 20' long, having first and second ends, and each having a plurality of air bearings disposed along the length of the bottom thereof, with each air bearing operably connected to a source of air under pressure associated with its respective finger, and dimensioned to fit under a pallet;   a structural cross-member holding said first and second fingers together at said ends thereof so that they are spaced laterally from each other and extend substantially parallel to each other from said structural member;   said third and fourth fingers operably connected to said first and second fingers, respectively, and extending parallel to and laterally spaced from each other, the first end of said third finger connected to the second end of said first finger, and the first end of said fourth finger connected to the second end of said second finger;   at least one inflatable load bar extending along the length of the top of each of said fingers;   means for supplying air under pressure to said load bars and to said air bearings for each of said fingers; and   wherein said means for supplying air to said air bearings includes: a central tubular passageway for each of said fingers, the central tubular passageways for said first and third fingers being aligned and connected in air-tight relationship, and the central tubular passageways for said second and fourth fingers being aligned and connected together in substantially an air-tight relationship; sealing means between said first and third and said second and fourth fingers' central tubular passageways; and an air-tight end termination at the second ends of said third and fourth fingers' central tubular passageways.   
     
     
       3. An assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the air-tight sealing means between said first and third and second and fourth fingers, respectively, comprises a pair of gaskets, one engaging each of said first and third fingers, or said second and fourth fingers, respectively, and a metal element having a through-extending opening therein and sandwiched between said gaskets. 
     
     
       4. A method of loading or unloading an overseas transport container about 20' long with goods mounted on a pallet, the pallet with goods completely effectively filling the container, utilizing first and second fingers, each substantially as long as the container interior and having inflatable air bearings and inflatable load bars associated therewith, the fingers mounted together and connected to a source of air under pressure at a first end thereof, with the second end thereof remote from the first end, adapted to be inserted into a container for loading or unloading, said method comprising the steps of: (a) inflating the air bearings;   (b) moving both fingers underneath the pallet, at the same time;   (c) inflating the load bars to lift the pallet off of a horizontal surface on which it is resting;   (d) moving the pallet linearly into, or out of, a transport container with the pallet vertically supported substantially only by the air inflating the air bearings and the load bars;   (e) deflating the load bars; and   (f) removing both the fingers, at the same time, from underneath the pallet.   
     
     
       5. A method as recited in claim 4 comprising the further step of laying down a sheet of flexible sheet material over the ground area to be traversed by the air bearings during the practice of steps (b) and (f) to facilitate movement therealong. 
     
     
       6. A method as recited in claim 4 comprising the further steps of connecting third and fourth fingers, substantially identical to the first and second fingers, to the first and second fingers, respectively, so that the length of each of the first and third fingers combined, and the second fourth fingers combined, is approximately 40'; and then repeating steps (a) through (f) for a 40' container. 
     
     
       7. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein the bottom of the pallet is approximately 5 inches off of the ground area, and the height of each finger, with the air bearings inflated but without inflation of the load bars, is approximately 4 inches from the ground area, and wherein step (c) is practiced to lift the pallet less than about two inches. 
     
     
       8. A method as recited in claim 4 wherein the fingers are connected at the first ends thereof to a hand truck; and comprising the further step of braking the movement of the fingers during the practice of any of steps (b) through (f) using the hand truck. 
     
     
       9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the hand truck has a steerable wheel, and comprising the further step of, between steps (c) and (d), moving the pallet laterally with the hand truck using the steerable wheel.